GREENVILLE, N.C. - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has awarded the City of Greenville a grant aimed at protecting children and families from lead-based paint and home health hazards.

 

Greenville is one of 48 state and local government agencies to receive the grants, which were announced recently by HUD Secretary Ben Carson during a recent event to unveil the Federal Action Plan to Reduce Childhood Lead Exposure. The plan is a blueprint for reducing lead exposure through collaboration among federal agencies to diminish childhood exposure to lead from lead-based paint and other sources.

 

Greenville received $1.6 million from the Lead Based Paint Hazard Reduction Fund and an additional $300,000 from the Healthy Homes Supplemental Funding Fund. The grant is for 42 months and will allow for the abatement of lead-based paint hazards in residential structures built before 1978. It will also cover hard and soft costs, salaries, overhead and healthy homes initiative.

 

"The City of Greenville Community Development will keep its commitment to furthering the impact of this grant through our existing Housing Rehabilitation Program," City of Greenville Housing Administrator Tiana Berryman said. "We believe that by extending the lifespan of residential units through rehabilitation, citizens are able to remain in their homes, rooted in the communities they love. We will continue to pride ourselves on being a safe community, in which we create and sustain the holistic health of our neighborhoods."

 

This is the second time that Greenville has received this type of grant. The first lead grant the City received (2009-2012) was through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) for $1.9 million dollars and was utilized to remove lead-based paint from 105 pre-1978 owner occupied and rental units.